


Delilah

by softjoycebyers



Series: The Universe & U [4]
Category: Ocean's 8 (2018)
Genre: Dani Ocean-Miller, F/F, Family Fluff, Pregnancy, SO MUCH FLUFF, there's a Friends reference in here that only I might find funny
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-06-23
Updated: 2020-06-23
Packaged: 2021-03-03 20:47:56
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,776
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24881818
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/softjoycebyers/pseuds/softjoycebyers
Summary: Debbie and Lou are adding one more to their little brood, and no one is as excited about it as her big sister. Dani does something pretty drastic, at least for her.This is loosely inspired by a story Cate Blanchett told once in an interview.
Relationships: Lou Miller/Debbie Ocean
Series: The Universe & U [4]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1699141
Comments: 10
Kudos: 43





	Delilah

**Author's Note:**

> This story has been in my drafts for a year, don't really know what took me so long finish it but life(tm) man. 
> 
> I meant this as a direct sequel to I Think It's Gonna Rain Today, some of the things that happened in that one are referenced here but it's not an obligatory read. 
> 
> All lingering errors are mine, so my apologies for those <3

Tammy was sitting in the nook adjoining the loft’s living room when she heard tiny feet trying to make their way down the stairs. She puts the papers she’s reading down, canting her head and narrowing her eyes. It’s only been a few minutes she put Dani down for a nap but Tammy should have known better than to assume the small Ocean would stay there. 

From where she was sitting Tammy couldn’t see Dani but she could hear the child as she took one measured step after another, the stairs still too steep for the 3-year-old’s legs. 

“Dani...” Tammy drawls. “You’re really not as quiet as you think you are, shouldn’t you be in bed?”

Dani freezes on the last step, eyes growing wide at being caught. She tosses her head back heaving a sigh of exasperation, and Tammy has to stifle a laugh at the sound of it. When she finally rounds the corner she peaks up at her aunt through a curtain of mousy brown hair and an impish grin.”

“I couldn’t sleep,” the little girl says, answering the silent question in Tammy’s eyes as she shuffles towards the couch, climbing into her lap.

“Did you try?” 

“Don’t you know what today is?” Dani counters, buzzing with barely contained excitement. 

“Of course I do, but your mommies won’t be back until after your nap.” 

“But I’m awake now.” 

“That’s not how that works Dan, it’s barely been 10 minutes.” 

Tammy tickles the child’s sides eliciting a fit of giggles until Dani begs her to stop. 

“There’s entirely too much Ocean in you, bug.” 

Tammy had volunteered to stay and watch over Dani while Lou and the other six women went to pick up Debbie and the new baby from the hospital. The months leading up to Debbie’s due date, the day had become like an unspoken family event in which they’d all come home for. She supposed it started back when Dani was born and the fright they went through all those years ago. Though her own eagerness at meeting her new niece was no less enthusiastic than Dani’s, she was just more subtle about it. 

“I get my sister today Auntie!” Dani squeals, throwing herself back on the couch, “I’m too wired to sleep.” 

_That much is obvious_ , Tammy thought, and the older woman knew, if she could, the little girl would jump out of her skin by the way she was buzzing and shout it to the whole of New York. It was all she’d been talking about since she found out, and upon reflection, Tammy was surprised Dani hadn’t been the one to tell their group first. 

–––––––

Debbie and Lou were getting ready for bed when there was a soft knock at their door followed by it creaking open. 

“Mommies,” Dani whispers through the slit in the door. They hadn’t quite curbed their daughter’s tendency to open their door without permission but at least she wasn’t barging in anymore, and her mothers were grateful for those small victories. 

Debbie raises a brow at Lou, as the blonde comes out of the bathroom barefaced and heads towards the door. They’d done this so often Debbie had come to expect Dani’s late night visits. One day though, they’ll put her to bed and she’ll actually stay _there_ but she wasn’t so sure Lou was ready for that yet. 

Even still, Debbie’s breath catches in her throat at a glimpse of her wife’s profil as she moves towards the door, and she momentarily forgets her slight irritation. She could blame her hormones for her heightened sensitivity but she knew that wasn’t it, she’s seen Lou like this thousands of times: dressed down, relaxed, and completely devoid of makeup but she was always a sight to be beheld, and she’s the only one who’s ever been privy to all of it. It was possibly one of Debbie’s favorite versions of Lou. 

She’s brought back to the present by the voices of her wife and daughter. 

Dani, clad in her multicolor motorcycle pajamas and favorite stuffed koala under her arm, takes a step back as the door opens the rest of the way, smiling coyly at Lou. 

“Buzzy,” Lou tries to sound stern but she already knows this isn’t a fight she's going to win, “It’s late.”

Dani chances a quick glance at Debbie behind Lou, and then pouts at Lou. 

“Mama, can I sleep with you?” 

Debbie could hardly contain her snort, _that little girl’s got you wrapped, baby._

Lou pretends to think it over, but she must have been quiet a second too long because Dani takes her silence as a yes, and in a flash she’s rushing under her mother’s arm and settling into the middle of their bed with a triumphant grin. 

“We really need to work on your game face,” Debbie says as Lou comes up behind her, wrapping an arm around her waist.

“My game face is impervious, it’s that Ocean charm I can’t resist.” 

Debbie rolls her eyes at that but can’t help the smirk that breaks across her face as Lou kisses the side of her head and nudges her gently on her way to the other side of the bed. 

“Yeah, yeah,” the brunette huffs, though the smile remains in place as she joins her wife and daughter in bed. “Just tonight, okay?” Debbie says to Dani, turning on her side and stroking the little girls soft curls. 

“Tomorrow, we’re staying in our own bed.” 

Dani nods but her mothers know she’ll have forgotten this conversation by the time she’s asleep. 

“Can we watch TV?” Dani tries after a few moments of silence, looking at Lou through her lashes. 

Lou sets her book down and pushes her glasses above her head, “sure, anything in particular— ”

“Lou…” Debbie shakes her head, not even bothering to open her eyes. 

“Sorry kiddo, mummy said no.”

In spite of herself, and her mild annoyance with Lou for not being more helpful in getting Dani to fall asleep, the smile returns in full force at the sound of her daughter’s giggles as Lou tickles her stomach. Staying mad was a difficult feat with those two, but Debbie wouldn’t change that for all the diamonds in any vault. She knew she would miss these moments as much as her wife when Dani was actually able to sleep through the night in her own room. 

The thought of Dani staying in her own room, however, brought up another pressing issue they have yet to discuss. One that was growing by the day and currently doing somersaults inside her stomach as if it were some kind of world class gymnast. 

Debbie opens her eyes, and they find each other as they always do. Lou is already looking at her, like she knows what the brunette is thinking and she’s beaming in recognition. 

They’d gone over several ways of telling Dani about the new baby for weeks, but they couldn’t figure out when or how to do it. Waiting until after the first trimester was a given, and they wanted to tell their daughter first before they told the rest of their motley crew. 

But they had to be quick about it — once Dani knew it was only a matter of time before the child told everyone else, and the thought of letting her do just that so they didn’t have too was almost too tempting to resist. Though they ultimately decided against it, figuring it was better if it came from them. 

_No time like the present_ , Debbie thought. It’s not as if they were getting sleep any time soon. 

“Dani,” Debbie starts once the child has calmed down from her bout of laughter, “we have something we want to tell you.” 

Dani looks between both women, sensing the mood shift in the room to something more serious. She sits up with her well-loved plush in her lap and eyes the adults expectantly. 

“How would you feel about having a brother or sister?”

The little girl’s face instantly lights up at the question. 

“Really? When?” Her voice quakes with elation. 

“Not quite yet, but… ” Debbie pulls her night shirt up enough to reveal the swell of her stomach, she takes Dani’s hand and places it in the center. 

“It’s still in Mummy’s tummy, you see?” Lou says lowly, her hand joining theirs on Debbie, “It’ll be a little while before we get to meet them.”

Lou gildes her fingers across her wife’s stomach, and Debbie shivers under her touch. Lou didn’t think she’d ever tire of seeing Debbie this way, and she’s also sure she’d never forget the awed expression on her daughter’s face as she tried best to look through her mother’s stomach either. 

The blonde had been the first to notice the change in Debbie’s body. It had been quite mundane, really, as Debbie was getting ready for the day and Lou was on her way to the Club, but as her wife turned to put on her shirt, Lou saw _it_ and very delightedly pointed it out. 

She had felt on top of the world after that. 

Sometimes, Lou still couldn’t believe this was her life. Before Dani was born, the concept of having kids with Debbie was a long forgotten dream. Lou was happy with their family just being the two of them, then they met the other women in their team, and that had been enough. 

But it was Debbie who had initiated both conversations, and every time Lou looked at the miniature version of her wife she felt incredibly lucky they hadn’t missed their window. She was absolutely chuffed to be adding another little one to their ragtag bunch, but nevertheless, part of her was still worried something might still go wrong last minute like they did with Dani, though the doctor had assured them they’d be watching Debbie and the baby even closer this time around and that assuaged some of her fears. 

“Mommy,” Debbie hums in acknowledgement. “Can I have a sister?”

While the idea of having a sibling to play with appealed greatly to Dani, she was not too keen on it being a boy. 

“We don’t get to decide that, love.” 

Dani frowns, laying back down, staring at the ceiling as if it could provide her with a better and more satisfying answer. 

“But I want a sister,” she says again. “Like Keri, she’s cool.”

Lou combs her fingers through her daughter’s hair, “What about Derek? Isn’t he cool too? What’s wrong with having a brother like him?” 

“I guess…” Dani mumbles, unconvinced. 

“I thought you liked him,” Debbie chimes in. 

“He’s okay,” Dani sighs, her tone laced in mild disapproval, and suddenly she sounds way too mature for someone so small. 

“But he’s such a _Ross_ ,” she deadpans, slapping her forehead, “he only ever talks about _one thing_ , would it kill him to talk about something else?”

Debbie and Lou can’t help but choke on their laughter, and for a moment Debbie feels bad for laughing at their friend but she’s also secretly proud that her daughter could come up with a barb like that on her own. 

“We’re going to have to limit her time with Constance.”

–––––––

The hushed voices woke her up from her nap. 

Dani doesn’t remember falling asleep but Tammy must have left her on the couch because that’s where she found herself instead of being back in her room. She’s a little disoriented at first, and shakes her head to clear the last remaining cobwebs of sleep that still loom over her. 

“Mommy?” 

She kicks the blanket off, climbing from the couch and following the voices into the living room. 

“Buzzy,” the little girl runs towards Lou, who catches her with an oof. 

“Mama, you’re home!”

“Did you sleep well?” Lou eyes her daughter skeptically, and is met with a cheeky grin in return. 

“Yeah, I thought so… ” She lightly pokes the girl in her stomach. Tammy had told them of the child’s war on sleep, and that would be a conversation they’d have to revisit later but right now it couldn’t be helped. 

Dani squirms in her arms, unable to keep it in much longer, “can I see her?”

Lou chuckles walking towards Debbie on the loveseat flocked by the other women on the floor, and plops down next to her with Dani in her lap.

Dani leans into Debbie's side, peaking over at the bundle in her arms. In an instant she’s captivated by the baby’s impossibly small features. 

“She’s so tiny, Mommy,” Dani whispers, so as to not disturb her sister. 

“You were tiny too, buzz,” Lou says, pressing her lips to the back of her eldest head. 

Dani looks up at Debbie then, silently asking for permission to touch the baby. At the woman’s nod, she gently caresses the curve of her sister’s nose, round red cheeks, and as she lightly taps the baby’s fist with her finger, the tiny one’s hand immediately wraps around her before she’s able to remove it. 

Dani relaxes into Lou’s chest, content to let the baby keep her finger in her hand if that’s what she wanted.

“Delilah,” Dani sighs out. “She’s perfect… and now do we get to keep her?” 

Debbie has to clear the lump in her throat before she could speak. 

“Yup. She’s all ours, love.” 

Suddenly, Dani gets an idea and turns to whisper it into Lou’s ear, asking if it’s okay. When the blonde nods, she carefully takes her finger back and scammers off her mother’s lap, disappearing into the nook. 

She returns just as quickly as she’d gone but this time she’s got her stuffed koala under her arm. 

Dani approaches Debbie and holds out the fluffy animal to her.

“Mommy… ” Dani says very seriously, and Debbie recalls that same matter of fact tone the child had adapted all those months ago. 

“Yes, baby?” 

“I want her to have him.” 

“Louis?” She looks from Dani to Lou, who just shrugs wanting to see this scene play out. 

“I want her to keep him,” Dani repeats, “he’s been a very good friend, and he's a great listener. I’ve had him forever, and well,” she pauses, “I just thought he could watch over her when I can’t.”

_Oh_. 

Debbie smiles tenderly at Dani, and Lou lays her head on her wife’s shoulder, staring at her eldest daughter through glassy eyes. She plays with her youngest tiny feet, the little one blissfully unaware that her older sister is practically laying down her life for her. 

Dani didn’t go _anywhere_ without Louis. So the fact that she was willingly passing him on was a very, _very_ , big deal. 

They had only been slightly worried that Dani might react differently to Delilah once she was actually here as opposed to just being in her mother’s stomach. But the little girl had been fine when she visited them briefly in the hospital, only spooked by the machines attached to Debbie more than anything else. 

Lou was an only child so she had nothing to really compare it to, but Debbie fretted that Dani would eventually see Delilah as competition. She’d been the youngest and only child for a long time, and she coveted the attention that was bestowed upon her by her mothers and aunts. 

But Debbie didn’t want Dani to see her sister as competition. Being the youngest herself, she was always made to feel like she needed to compete with Danny for their father’s affection and it took her too long to realize how screwed up that was. She loved her brother but she didn’t always like him, and her constant need to beat him at his own game wasn’t particularly healthy either. Debbie remembers thinking that if she ever had children she wasn’t going to raise them that way. They didn’t need to prove themselves to her, or Lou, that they’re worthy of love and respect. 

Debbie gives the baby to Lou and takes Dani into her lap instead, ignoring the pressure in her abdomen at the exertion. 

“Sweetheart, are you sure? You love Louis, won’t you miss him?” 

Dani takes a deep breath, unconsciously tightening her arms around the bear. 

“Yeah, I guess,” she says resolutely. 

“But that’s okay, I’ve had my time with him.”

Debbie hugs the little girl to her, dropping a kiss to the crown of her head. 

“I’ll tell you what,” she starts after a moment, “how about you share him? Mama and I will watch over Delilah, and you can keep Louis until she’s big enough to appreciate it?” 

Dani nods slowly, liking her mother’s suggestion a lot better. 

**Author's Note:**

> I really love Dani and she might pop up somewhere else in the future haha  
> Anyway, thank you so much for reading, I hope you enjoyed it.  
> Feed me in reviews if you'd like I always love hearing from you (:


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